And in case you were wondering, Apapacho means a cuddle or affectionate pat \u2013 or, in Mexico, \u201cto embrace or caress with the soul\u201d. Apt.<\/p>\n
Where is it?<\/p>\n
89 Ghuznee Street, in Wellington city. It\u2019s painted brick-red on the outside, right by the lights.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s new about it?<\/p>\n
Apapacho opened in March, and from what I can tell browsing the internet \u2013 namely, Reddit, that beautiful and scary place of very human opinion \u2013 Wellingtonians have been super excited to have a new Mexican joint like this in town. I am too! I love Mexican food! Who doesn\u2019t?<\/p>\n
Admittedly, New Zealanders tend to become disproportionately excited whenever a new Mexican spot opens. Mexican food can be hard to properly execute here, with core ingredients that make the cuisine what it is hard to come by in this corner of the world. However, you can tell that Joshua and Kevin, who originate from Guadalajara, have managed to adapt traditional dishes to what\u2019s available here, serving up their own version of Mexico on lil\u2019 ole Ghuznee.<\/p>\n
Joshua Arias in the kitchen at Apapacho (Photo: WellingtonNZ)
\nWhat are the vibes?<\/p>\n
Earthy and warm. Booth seating runs along the walls, which are accented in deep wood. There are plenty of lighting fixtures which make the space soft and yellow when a cloudy Wellington day is not cooperating, including a dried corn cob chandelier-esque feature in the middle of the room. It\u2019s casual, no-fuss and friendly \u2013 bar seating is available if you\u2019re after a quick coffee and pastry (they do concha, which is a brioche pastry with a sugary crust of chocolate or vanilla). It\u2019s quieter on the weekdays, but like I said, the weekends can get pretty hectic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What should I order?<\/p>\n
You should definitely get the tacos. I am partial to tacos; it is one of my favourite foods in the world, and if you don\u2019t like them then you\u2019ve never had a good one. Apapacho offer only three options, asada (steak), suadero (brisket) and calabacita (courgette), all on a Napier-made Hands Down corn tortilla. If I were you, I\u2019d get the suadero, which is this tallow-rich brisket, evidently slowly cooked to retain all those juices, and accompanied simply with onion and refried beans. Douse it generously in the provided hot sauce, which adds a kick but isn\u2019t prohibitively spicy. The first time I went here I just ordered two of these, licked my fingers clean, and left happy.<\/p>\n
But there are other things on the menu worth trying, so get an individual taco, and then a brunchy main: I\u2019d recommend the birriaquiles, which is their version of chilaquiles (tortilla chips with salsa). It\u2019s tossed in birria broth and topped with piles of lamb, beans and sour cream and big enough to share between two. The quesadilla frita, deep-fried corn masa with a bright and punchy salsa verde on top, is also delicious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The quesadilla frita and asado taco at Apapacho (Photo: WellingtonNZ)<\/p>\n
You could also just keep it classic with the huevos rancheros, which is fried eggs on a tortilla base, and still have a good time. Everything is made flavourful with spices and sauces, cut through with fresh herbs and lightly pickled onion: undeniable tastiness that makes itself obvious from first bite. So I trust you could probably choose anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Also, you have to make a decision on drinks, which could prove tricky. I\u2019d recommend the caf\u00e9 de olla, which is a Mexican coffee muddled with spices, or a horchata. For something fresh, try the daily-changing agua fresca. If it\u2019s a reasonable hour (you get to decide this), order one of the cocktails: a breakfast margarita has marmalade in it, or just throw caution to the wind and opt for a mezcal negroni. Why not! When in Apapacho, etc etc.<\/p>\n
What\u2019ll it set me back?<\/p>\n
You could dine here for as little as $14 if you get their version of eggs on toast (but theirs come with refried beans and birote, which is a Mexican sourdough bread). More likely, you\u2019ll spend somewhere between $25 to $50pp, depending on your choice of drinks (alcoholic vs non-alcoholic) and main meal. If you do what I suggest and get the caf\u00e9 de olla ($6), one taco ($10) and a main, say the chilaquiles ($22), then that would add up to $38.<\/p>\n
Apapacho<\/p>\n
89 Ghuznee Street, Te Aro<\/p>\n
8am-3pm, Thurs-Mon<\/p>\n